


Cloning Around

by Debi_C



Series: Second Chances. [6]
Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: M/M, cloning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-10-12
Updated: 2011-10-12
Packaged: 2017-10-24 13:03:45
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 14,707
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/263794
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Debi_C/pseuds/Debi_C
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Danny goes off world on his own with another team.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Cloning Around

**Author's Note:**

> More adventures of the Clone boys, Jon (canon) and Danny. Thanks to my wonderful Betas Shazzz! and Sallye.  
> 

Daniel Jackson Jr. was standing at a bus stop holding an arm full of books. The jeep was in the shop and Jon was out of town TDY at Edwards AFB in California. He'd needed to go to the library but didn't want to call a cab and he'd ridden public transportation for years before so didn't mind using it again, especially now in 2018. It was so much more efficient than the busses he'd ridden in the 80s.

The automated city bus slid to a stop at the corner and he dutifully climbed the stairs up into the passenger compartment. The electronic voice politely demanded correct change. As Danny stood there counting out the dollar coins, he heard a female voice calling.

"Hold the bus. Hey, hold the bus will ya?" Suddenly a body slammed into the back of him, dislodging the books that he'd so precariously perched in his single arm. A warm breathy giggle blew into his ear. "Thanks!" This was followed by a feminine voice "Shit! I'm sorry."

Danny looked around to see a teenaged girl wearing the latest fashion trend of tights, chains, and a bandeau top that barely covered her small breasts. He tried to juggle his load, losing two or three volumes in the process.

"Here, let me help you, Einstein." She laughed as she reached for the falling books. She managed to grab all but one which he retrieved from the floor himself.

"All passengers must be seated before the bus can move," the automated voice droned. The girl made a face at the small metal speaker and headed back to the seating area still carrying Danny's two books. He followed his hostage research materials and sat down beside her.

"I'll take those now," he said in a firm voice.

"Oh, yeah, sure." The girl swung her long brown hair out of her face with a practiced snap of her head and handed the books back. "Sherrie LaCour."

"What?" He looked up at her in confusion at the familiar sounding name while still trying to balance the books in his lap.

"Sherrie LaCour, it's my name," she explained with a wink. "Not a drink".

"Oh." He hesitated a split second before replying. "Danny Jackson."

"Nizta."

"What?" he said again confused by the unfamiliar word.

"Nizta," she repeated looking at him with amazement. "Nizta meet cha."

"Oh," he nodded absent-mindedly. "Nice to meet you too."

"So whatcha doing with all those books?" she asked determinedly.

He looked at her over the rims of his glasses. "I'm doing research."

"Oh, for a term project? I had one of those last semester. What school ya go to?"

"What?" He shook his head. "Oh, no, no school."

"Oh, you're a Homer." She smiled. "That must be a snap."

"No, I mean, I don't understand." He frowned. "What's a Homer?" He had this odd mind picture of an old cartoon show that Jack used to like.

"Where do you come from?" She giggled at him. "You don't get it real good."

"I'm new in the area," he replied trying to look innocent.

The girl looked at him curiously. "You talk funny. Where are you from?"

"The middle east originally, but I've moved a lot."

"Hot, man. I've always wanted to travel." The girl babbled on. "I want to go to Rome, Constantinople, Athens ... you know, do the whole eastern tour thing."

He nodded. "It's beautiful there. I'd like to go back myself someday, just to see how it's changed."

She looked at him with a smile. "Whatcha studying Homer?"

He thought a moment before answering. "Foreign languages."

"Hot, Danny Jackson, makes clear sense." The bus pulled to a stop at a busy intersection in downtown Colorado Springs. "See ya on the next downtown go round." Sherrie pulled herself up on the chrome bars of the bus and swung into the aisle. Her abbreviated top slid up to reveal the bottom swell of her breasts, her flat belly, and the twinkle of a navel stud. He watched her hips sway as she walked away from him. She flashed him a come-hither smile as she bounced down the stairs onto the pavement.

When the bus started to pull away, he waved shyly at her. She grinned and waved back.

When he could no longer see her, he turned to sit correctly in the seat and settled his books comfortably in his lap. It took a moment. He had an erection and his jeans were uncomfortably tight.

It had decreased by the time the bus stopped at his corner and he picked himself and his books up and hopped off the bus. Walking the few blocks to the apartment building, he nodded to the doorman who opened the door for him and his load of books.

"Hello, Danny."

"Hi Bill." He nodded to the doorman cum security guard.

"Captain O'Neill is home." The tall black man smiled down at him.

"Great, it's been kinda quiet up there without him," he replied happily. He'd missed his partner badly the last couple of day.

Bill nodded then followed him to the elevator where he pushed the button for Daniel to keep him from juggling the books.

"Thanks, Bill."

"Have a good evening, Danny."

When he reached the seventh floor, the door opened automatically for him. He traversed the fifteen or so feet to reach his apartment door and was trying to get to his key, when the door opened revealing Jon in a tee shirt and jeans. The smell of cooking dinner wafted out into the hall.

The older man grabbed some of the off balance books from the top of the stack and turned to lead Daniel into the living room of the apartment. "Hey, babe. Glad you got home. Dinner's almost ready."

"Great, I'm starving." Daniel followed eagerly.

They deposited the books onto the coffee table by the couch. Jon turned and grabbed Danny around the waist in a hard hug and a tender kiss. "God, I missed you."

Danny squeezed him back, luxuriating in the feel, smell, and taste of the other man. "I missed you too, Jon. It's been a long week."

"I worried about you without a car. This week we're gonna take some time off and get you your license and a car." Jon stepped back for a moment, looking down at his lover. "I think you can reach the peddles now."

Danny playfully punched him in the ribs. "Oh, yeah, big guy. I can still take you in a fair fight."

Jon grabbed him and pulled him back into a hard hug wrapping his arms around Danny so the youngster couldn't hit him any more. "What? With someone helping you?"

"No," Danny replied with a chuckle. "I'll just out think you, jet jockey Jon."

"Well, I gotta admit, that wouldn't be hard," Jon laughed in return.

"Oh, really now." The younger man rubbed his hands against his lover's jean-clad pelvis. "Ooh, I see."

Jon tilted Daniel's face up with his free hand. "Not yet, dinner first."

"Food?"

"Yeah, hot food. The most important thing to a growing boy."

"Boy, my ass, and make that the second most important thing." Danny kissed him insistently.

Jon grinned down at him. "Well, I'm hungry anyway. He turned Danny toward the kitchen and swatted the younger man playfully on the butt as he walked in front of him. "And a very nice ass it is indeed."

~o0o~

After a dinner the two curled up on the couch and watched an action adventure show on the large flat screened 3HDTV. Jon yawned and stretched under Danny's weight.

"Sleepy, lover?" Danny rubbed his hand up the leg he was laying on.

"Yeah, kinda, maybe a little jet-lag too" Jon replied. "It's been a rough week." He ran his fingers through the shoulder length blond hair feeling the bald area where the implants had been removed. "What has the SGC brain trust been up to while I've been gone?"

"Oh, same old things. Translations, categorizing artifacts, helping SG15 sign the deal of the century for naquadah."

"Deal of the century, hum. That sounds pretty cool."

"Hot."

"Hot? What's hot?" Besides you I mean."

"Oh, sorry." Danny leaned back against Jon and pulled him down a bit so he could reach his lover's mouth for a kiss. "The new slang is hot. What used to be cool is now hot."

"Oh, really? And where did you get that from, oh linguist of my dreams?"

"This girl I met on the bus today."

Jon looked at him curiously. "A girl, huh. Was she pretty?"

Danny made a great show of thinking about it. "Yes, yes, I suppose she was pretty ... in a young sort of way."

"Oh." Jon got quiet. "How young?"

"Fifteen maybe." Danny shrugged. "I don't know. Why?"

His lover looked at him seriously. "Daniel, do you want to talk about it?"

"What?" he replied feigning confusion.

"The girl, the one that flirted with you, do you want to talk about her?"

"Not specifically."

"Okay, how about generally?"

"Jjjooonnn." At the other man's concerned look, he finally nodded slightly.

Jon shifted until he was sitting on the couch and he had Danny sitting next to him. "Okay, tell me what happened."

Danny shrugged. "Nothing happened. I was getting on the bus, she bumped into me, we talked, she flirted, she got off, I got off, and I came home."

Jon noticed that Danny wasn't looking him in the face. "You enjoyed it ... the flirting, I mean."

The younger man nodded and blew his breath out. "Yes, I guess I did."

Jon shrugged. "So, good." He looked at Danny and arched his eyebrow. "Did you get hard?"

"Yes ... I did." The youngster looked up at him coyly through long eyelashes.

The older man looked at him. "Did you want her?"

"No," the answer came softly. "I mean I did in a general physical way but she's just a kid ... and besides I want you."

"You have me," Jon's voice was low and soft. "You have me any time you want me."

"No ... no I don't." Danny looked up at him. "Jon, since you've been cloned, have you made love to any women?"

"No." His answer was quick and honest. "I've screwed some women, but I never made love to them."

"What?"

"I've had women, but I didn't love them Danny. They were just ... scratching an itch."

"Men?"

"Actually, no." This answer was quicker. "I was kinda screwed up there for a while, had to get a life, ya know? Then, instead of college, I went to the Air Force Academy." Jon frowned. "They're still pretty anti-gay there, so I kept things under wraps. I had a few girlfriends, but they were mainly for show ... and scratching."

Danny gazed at him with guileless eyes. "No men?"

"Well, except for the other you." He grinned. "I lusted after Daniel, but he pretty much kept me at arms' length ... and Jack threatened to kick my ass if I got too froggy."

"You love Daniel."

"I love you." Jon looked at him oddly. "What's going on, Danny? Do you want to leave?"

"Oh, God no! Jon, I love you. Of all the things I missed and wanted, it was you that I wanted the most."

Jon looked at him. "So, I don't get it. You love me. You want me. You got me. I love you. I want you. I got you. Don't I?"

"No. You say you want me, but you won't take me," Danny replied softly.

"So, where do you want to go? The zoo? The Mountain? Peterson Field? Denver? Minnesota? Egypt?" Jon threw his hands up. "You're killing me here, Danny!"

Danny looked at him from under his long eyelashes. "No, I want you to take me, make love to me ... here ... now."

"I DO make love to you," Jon exclaimed almost angrily.

"No! No!" Danny answered just as angrily. "You jerk me off, you go down on me, but you won't fuck me!"

Jon stood up and walked over to the sliding glass door and stared outside. "Danny, we've talked about this. You're too young, too small." He turned around. "Danny, sweetheart, you're five foot six and weigh one hundred and thirty pounds. I'm six foot two and one hundred and ninety. I'll hurt you. Besides, you just had brain surgery two months ago."

"No ... you won't hurt me! I'm not glass. And the surgery was on my head, not my ass."

"You're too small, and quit acting as if your brain is in your ass or your balls!"

"Not that small, besides this is when my other me started. I had a male lover my freshman year in college."

"Eighteen," Jon said softly

"Sixteen," Danny replied hotly.

"Not you, him," Jon commented. "HE was eighteen. He was young and skinny too." He waited a minute when Danny didn't answer him. "Wasn't he."

"Stephen was twenty!"

"Oh, that was too much information!" Jack pulled back. "But I'm betting that he was a lot smaller than me."

The younger man sat glaring at him for a moment, then continued. "I'll bet the women you made love to ... "

"Screwed."

"Okay screwed, whatever, I'll bet they were all smaller and lighter than you," Danny protested.

"Danny, you know that women are made differently than guys," Jon tried to explain his point of view to the frowning younger man. "And for your information, most of them were smaller than me, BUT all of them were bigger than you are now." He sighed. "You are going to get bigger, and we both know that. I don't want to take the risk when in a year or two I'll be more confident that you won't be injured." Jon shook his head. "I do not want to explain to Doctor Barrett or Jack that I hurt you ... especially Jack."

"Two years?" Danny was aghast and heartbroken. "Two years!"

"Daniel, please ... I'm only thinking of you."

"Fuck you, Jack O'Neill!" Danny jerked away and stood up from the couch. "And the horse you rode in on."

"Danny ... "

His young partner jerked away and walked off into the spare bedroom and closed the door.

Jon stared helplessly at the closed door. This was not the evening he had planned for or wanted. What had happened with that damned girl on the bus? Finally he strode over to the door. It didn't have a lock on it, so he opened it and went in. Danny was sitting on the bed, tears glistening on his cheeks.

"Danny, quit acting like a damned drama queen! This isn't you. Tell me what happened."

Daniel rolled over on the bed and looked at him, not saying anything.

Jon sat down next to him. "Okay, I'll start. Yesterday you, uh, went to the library. The jeep is in the shop so you, what, called a cab?" The younger man nodded stiffly. "You went to the library downtown and spent a wonderful day buried in books up to your eyebrows." Another nod. "Then you checked out some that you had to have and went outside and your cab wasn't there."

"Hadn't called one," Danny said softly.

The older man looked down at him. "You didn't call one, okay." He paused a moment, "Note to self, get Danny a driver's license and buy him a car. Can't have him wandering the streets overloaded with old books and journals."

"Don't need a car."

"Obviously you do, but that's not what we're discussing here."

"You're discussing."

"You're listening. That's a start." He continued, "So no cab, but here comes a bus. You get on the bus and this buxom, nubile, adolescent, sex-goddess accidently on purpose bumps into you to start a conversation. She titillates your teenaged hormones and bingo, a boner." He glanced at Danny again; he's obviously no longer angry and is stifling a giggle. "You make it home to your ever-loving significant other, you eat a huge meal, and then demand sexual favors from same poor unsuspecting overeducated flyboy. He refuses for perfectly logical and medical reasons, you get pissed off, flounce out of the living room to your room and then, well, here we are."

"I didn't ... flounce."

"Did."

"Didn't."

"You don't even know what the word means." Danny rolled over onto his belly, presenting Jon a perfect view of what he'd been offered and had refused.

Jon groaned and flopped down on his back next to the man-boy.

"Overeducated remember? Multiple degrees here. Entirely too many years of education at the expense of the taxpayers."

"Of which I am one."

"Of which you are one. I do know what flounce is." Jon rolled over onto his side to face his partner. He propped himself up on his elbow and watched the slender form lay there and breathe. It was a beautiful sight. Not being able to help himself, Jon gently placed his hand on the small of Danny's back and began to rub in a soothing circle. Not get any response, he slipped his hand up and under the light tee shirt the youngster was wearing and began to stroke the smooth soft skin.

Danny wiggled. "Stop it, that tickles."

"I love the feel of your skin. It's like satin."

"Just skin."

"Your skin. Special. Perfect." His voice was low and soft.

Sliding over next to Danny, Jon extended his touch up under the shirt following the line of the knobby backbone. Damn, he'd have to watch Danny to be sure he was eating enough. Maybe more milkshakes or something. Too much bone and not enough meat. His fingers made it to the nape of the delicate neck.

The youngster wriggled some more then turned over to face him, making Jon slide his hand around to the front of the beloved body. His questing fingers stroked over the too prominent ribs and came to rest on the flat abdomen. "Danny, you're not eating enough," he chided gently. "You're too thin."

The sapphire blue eyes regarded him mutely. "Am not. The doc would tell me."

"She doesn't see you without your shirt like I do," Jon retorted. "I shouldn't be able to feel your bones like this." His searching fingers strayed upwards until they came into contact with one of the small flat nipples.

Daniel curled up with a gasp. "Stop it! That tickles!"

Jon moved over again to lay touching his lover. He continued his contact, pinching the nub gently. He watched Danny's face as the pupils expanded and the soft skin began to flush a darker shade of pink. He could see the perfectly formed lips part and the chest began to move as the other's breathing deepened responsively. He stopped his teasing and slid his hand out from under the shirt. Then, as if reaching for a dream, he moved to put his hand behind Danny's neck to steady him and he slowly moved in to kiss the tempting mouth. As their lips met, the younger man sighed deeply and opened his mouth to Jon's welcome exploration.

Slowly they separated. "You're beautiful," Jon breathed softly.

Danny frowned. "Not beautiful. Cute maybe."

"Lover, you are the most beautiful thing on this or any other planet," Jon corrected him gently with a kiss. He pushed the youngster over onto his back and got to his hands and knees to crawl over the supine body. Still on his knees and elbows, he straddled the slender man-child. Danny sighed and relaxed back on the bed. His lover slid his hands under the thin tee shirt and pushed it up to reveal the slender chest and expose the flat belly, prominent ribs and flawless skin. His kisses moved from Danny's mouth, down his throat to the chest and nipples. The responsive body arched up under his gentle loving mouth. A soft gasp caused him to smile as he began to lick down the concave abdomen to the dimple of a navel. He sucked and nipped his way down, causing Danny to surge beneath him, moaning in reaction to his oral exploration.

"Uhgh," the soft sound encouraged him.

Jon shifted his position further down and unsnapped the buttons on the soft denim trouser's fly. He glanced up momentarily to check on the younger man's status and was pleased to see the blue eyes begging him to continue. He pulled the jeans off of Danny and dropped them on the floor. He smiled down at the younger man. "God, you're beautiful."

Danny arched an eyebrow. "Show me. Fuck me."

"No, but I'll love you." He reached for the hard penis bobbing in his face and drew it into his mouth. He sucked for a moment then licked up its length. "I'll never do anything to hurt you Danny. You know I can't."

The younger man nodded and sighed. "I know you never will. I just wish sometimes, that you wouldn't be so ... responsible."

Jon grinned up at him and arched an eyebrow. "Somebody has to be responsible for you, baby, and believe me, its gonna be me for a long, long time."

~o0o~

Monday afternoon Jon was in a pilots' briefing for the following day's training sorties when the instructor was interrupted by an airman with a message. After taking the note and looking at the inscription on the envelope, Major Fields looked back to where Jon was sitting.

"Captain O'Neill, this is for you."

Having a bad feeling about it, Jon came up and took the message. It was terse and to the point.

 

Report to Brig Gen Davis at Cheyenne Mt ASAP. PD.  
.  
He looked at the Major. "Sir, I have to go."

"Will you be here for tomorrow's flight training?"

"It doesn't look good for it, sir."

The older man just shook his head. "I hope it's not bad news, Captain. Dismissed."

As Jon walked out of the hanger, his cell phone was ringing. He hurriedly answered it. "O'Neill."

"Jon, this is Daniel. Are you on your way to the SGC yet?"

His heart sank as he registered the voice of Danny's 'father'. "I just got General Davis's note and I'm on my way in now. What happened?"

The familiar voice answered him tensely, "I can't say on an unsecured line."

"I'll be there in 15." He closed his phone and ran to the jeep. He'd known this would happen. He just didn't know why. Once in his vehicle, he headed directly for Cheyenne Mountain.

As Jon ran through the upper halls of NORAD, Daniel was waiting for him at the SGC's security checkpoint. The Archaeologist signed the younger man in and the two of them headed for the elevator to the lower levels where Stargate Command made its home.

Jon glared at the older man. "What the hell's happened now?"

Daniel looked up at him and was reminded of days from years past when his own Jack O'Neill was in alpha-protective mode. He shook his head. "We're not quite sure. Everything was going well with the negotiations ... "

"Wait a minute!" Jon looked at Daniel in surprise. "He was involved in the negotiations? He told me that he was only doing translations for SG15."

"He was. Didn't he tell you he was going on a mission today?"

"No, we sort of had a disagreement yesterday and he wasn't talking to me very much."

The older man just looked at him for a moment then shook his head. "Everything was going very well when Lieutenant Colonel Morton said they had hit a snag in the talks. There was some phrases that hadn't come up before and it was involving the medical trade goods. Cassie had to go to try and explain the dosage and use of the vaccine and they asked Danny to go along to help with the exact wording." Jackson shrugged. "It was just supposed to be for a couple of hours." He looked at Jon. "What were you two fighting about, if I may ask?"

Jon scowled at him. "He's got this thing now."

"Thing?"

"Yeah." He took a breath. "He wants to do something, or have me do something to him rather, and I won't." At Daniel's questioning look, he continued. "He wants me to ... you know ... but I won't. He's too little."

Daniel looked puzzled for a second, then realization dawned on him. "You think you'll hurt him?"

Jon looked miserable as he nodded. "I keep telling him that we'll do it when he grows some more. I'm too big. I know I'll tear him."

"So you're not talking because of that?"

"No, he's not talking ... I guess he thinks he'll wear me down." Jon sighed, "Sorry, we must remind you of a soap opera."

Daniel chuckled. "No you remind me of someone else."

"Ya think?"

"Yes, I think."

The conversation stalled for a moment, then Jon asked, "So what's going on with the mission?"

"I'm pretty sure that it's gone bad. The team leader won't admit he's lost control and I think Danny's in trouble."

"Who's he with?"

"SG15 with Morton," Daniel sighed. "He's relatively new and seems to be a bit non-confrontational. But then, I'm used to a more aggressive type being in control."

"Did Danny have an attack when he went through the wormhole?"

"No, that part went perfect. There wasn't a hitch." Daniel pursed his lips. "We wouldn't, I wouldn't, have allowed him to go if I had thought there was any danger of that."

"So what happened?"

"I'm not sure. That's the problem. Morton said as soon as they got to the village and the natives saw Danny, they got excited and began to talk about offerings and pleasing their gods." He shrugged. "They escorted the team to a high hall and began preparations for a feast. Once the food started coming, the mead started flowing and everything seemed to smooth out." Daniel entered his office. "Then their hosts wouldn't let Danny leave with the team."

"Wwwwhhhyyy?"

"Well, I 've taken what information I have from the initial survey team and doing some research I found this." He handed an old archaeological magazine to Jon, who raised an eyebrow, as he continued to explain. "The culture on the planet you're going to is based on the Celtic druids."

"Druids? Aren't they nature worshipers?"

"That's what they're known for today. However in their past the gods they worshiped were the more bloodthirsty incarnations. If there were any Goa'ulds involved with their relocation from Earth to this planet, they probably calmed them down a bit. Read the highlighted part. I believe that this is what happened when Danny got to the village"

"It suggests that young noblemen were offered to fertility gods by kings to ensure a successful reign. The victims were possibly political hostages or gifts to the village by supplicants. The bodies were placed on the borders of tribal boundaries 'to ensure a good yield of corn and milk throughout the reign of the king'."

Jon looked at him with suspicion. "So you think that they think ... "

"I think that the village headman thinks that Danny was supposed to be a gift to them; that he was a gift to be an offering to their gods to ensure health and prosperity to the clan." He looked at Jon over his eyeglasses. "He probably can't believe that someone who looks so young could be of any value to them in any other way."

"Fuck that!" Jon put the paperwork down. "Has the General seen this?"

Daniel nodded. "He authorized me to call you in. I wanted to go, but no one will let me get close to the Stargate any more."

Jon looked at his old friend. "Gee, I wonder why."

Daniel looked the younger man in the eye. "Go get him, Jon. Bring him home before something horrible happens."

The Captain nodded. "I will ... or I won't come back."

Jon had found that General Davis had already authorized Jon's trip to join SG15. He quickly donned an SGC uniform and geared up with a 9-mm Glock and a P-90b. Leaving the locker room, he headed first to Daniel's office.

The older man looked up at him. "Damn, I'm having a flashback."

"To when? When we rescued you last time?"

"No, from 1996. You look just like a certain hard-assed Special Ops trained Colonel I met here."

"Oh, I'm much worse that him, Doctor Jackson. Then he just wanted to kill everybody for no apparent reason. Now, well now I have that reason."

"Jon, you're not supposed to be going to start a war."

"No, but I am on an SAR mission," He looked at Daniel coldly. "And my job is to bring my man back alive, period."

"You wouldn't be taking this a bit personally would you?"

Jon tilted is head to the side. "Ya think? I seem to remember someone else taking things a bit personally when his Daniel Jackson was being held hostage. How is Jack's new knee by the way?"

"Okay," Daniel sighed. "I get your point."

His eyes met those of the older man. "Good. Don't forget who you're dealing with. I may not have all his official training documentation but I still have the knowledge. Does Canada still have the Mounties?"

Jackson looked a bit non-pulsed by the change of subject. "I guess so. Why?"

"Cause, like them, I always get my man."

~o0o~

Davis was there to see him off through the wormhole. Jon stepped up and saluted. Davis returned it and smiled. "You always come through for us Captain."

"You always have the proper bait, General Davis." The younger man smiled ironically at him.

"Ouch, Jon." Conscious of whom he was talking to, Davis sighed. "I'm sorry, this was supposed to be an easy in and out for Danny. He volunteered. He wanted to go."

"Yeah, well, that's Danny for you. That's why I need to get assigned here."

"You can't always be his keeper, you know," Davis said humorlessly.

Jon looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "Yes, General, yes I can. General Hammond knew it. Jack knew it, General Landry knew it. General Carter knew it. You have to realize that every Daniel needs a keeper, and this one even more so."

Davis looked at him oddly for a moment then pursed his lips and nodded. "I'll write that down."

Behind them the wormhole kawooshed into existence.

"Please, I'd really appreciate it and so will Jack. You have to realize that Danny will never turn you down for a mission. He opened the Stargate. It's his passion, his miracle and his worst nightmare. It's my job, my mission in life, to keep the damned thing from killing him."

The general nodded. "I do understand. Really I do." He stepped back. "Good luck Captain and Godspeed. Bring him back."

"From your mouth to God's ears, General. I'll do my damnedest." Jon turned and ran up the ramp, entering the Stargate's mouth.

~o0o~

Jon stepped down from the Stargate platform to be met by Major Cassie Frasier and Lieutenant Colonel Morton. It was dusk. The planet's sun had almost set behind some distant mountains. He marched up to the two senior officers and saluted. "Captain Jon O'Neill reporting, sir. The General sends his compliments."

Lieutenant Colonel Morton frowned at the younger man. "I don't know why the General deemed it necessary to send you. I have the situation under control."

"Oh really? I don't see Danny anywhere around."

"He's still in the village. Negotiations are ongoing," Morton snapped back.

"And when was the last time he was seen ... ongoing, that is?"

Major Fraiser answered before Colonel, frowning at the older man. "We saw him from a distance this afternoon. He didn't look good."

"You cannot tell anything at that distance Major. Please do not speak until spoken to."

Jon looked at her. "I'm speaking to her. What do you mean, Cassie?"

"He was hanging from a cross and he was covered in blood. I couldn't tell if he was conscious or not."

"It was paint. Gorin said he had been prepared to meet the sun god, Balor of the Flaming Eye."

Morton seemed almost smug. "The ceremony will be done in the morning and Danny will be given back to us after it's over." He smiled. "See. There's nothing to worry about."

"Oh really? You don't think to have one of your team sacrificed to a Celtic sun god worrisome?"

"They're not going to sacrifice him, Captain. They're going to give him to the god. It's only a ritual after all."

Jon looked at Cassie in disbelief. "What the hell is he talking about?"

Morton answered patiently. "They are Druids, Wiccans. They don't sacrifice living beings. It's all a ritual."

"On Earth, they don't sacrifice live beings. We don't know what they do here." Jon shook his head in disbelief at the senior officer. "We have to extract him now, before morning."

Morton shook his head. "We're invited to attend the ceremony. Then we can sit down and finish out the trade negotiations."

O'Neill shook his head. "Colonel, with all due respect, Danny won't be alive to do any negotiating. That's why I'm here, to get him out."

The senior officer was beginning to get angry. "Look I don't know who you are, or what you think you can do. Mister Jackson is being held in the town square in plain sight of the sentries. He's in no danger. He's probably uncomfortable and cold but by tomorrow ... "

Jon already was angry. "By tomorrow, he'll be dead. General Davis sent me to get him out and I'm going to do just that."

The Colonel glowered at the young upstart Captain. "You will accompany us to camp. You will remain with SG15 in an advisory capacity. That is all." Morton turned on his heel and left the two junior officers to follow.

Cassie looked at the furious O'Neill. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to follow that asinine idiot back to his camp, eat his chow, then ... well, then we'll see."

~o0o~

Jon crept into the town square after midnight passed. There was only a sliver of moon that cast deep black shadows in along the village square. His camouflaged clothing and blackout face paint cloaked him in invisibility until he had to expose himself to the faint glow of the light.

His target was still where he had been left, abandoned to the cold indifference of the night. The longish fair hair gleamed in the pale light, the head bent in suffering. Jon looked at him grimly. He had come to relieve his lover's pain, one way or another.

As he crossed the open space, Jon heard a noise coming from one of the side streets. He dropped behind a barrel hiding in its shadow. A guardsman started toward the still figure. As the man passed close to where he hid, Jon rose silently and grabbed him around the neck, passing a knife through flesh and gristle. The man fell with a gurgling sound and a dull thud on the cobblestone. A circle of dark blood formed a macabre halo around the body.

Jon looked around, knowing that others could have heard the sounds. The time for stealth had passed. Now it would take speed and strength to accomplish his mission. He ran to the cross that Danny was hanging from and pulled his combat knife. He took a quick pulse check and found it very weak and slow. "Danny?" There was no answer. He went to the back of the crosspiece and slashed the thongs that held the young man in place. Surprisingly the cords didn't slip off the wood and he had to cut through several of them before he could free the tortured prisoner. Jon moved to catch the unconscious man and as he received the weight in arms he realized why. Instead of being around Danny's arms, the leather cords were run through the muscle, literally piercing his upper biceps and forearms. The dark red substance that covered his chest and arms that Morton had thought was paint was dried blood. As he took Danny in his arms, the fair head stirred.

"Easy, baby. I've got you," Jon murmured softly into the blood-caked hair.

"J'n?" the voice was so soft, he could barely make out his name.

"Danny, I'm here. You're safe now."

"Jon, wanna go 'ome."

"Yes, sweetheart. We're going home. Just hang on to me."

Danny leaned heavily onto Jon's chest, unable to support his own weight. "C'nt, a'ms don w'k."

Just as Jon had him safe in his arms, he heard the sounds of more people approaching. Knowing he was about to be discovered, the Captain pulled his handgun. As the city guardsmen came around the corner, he fired the weapon, shooting all four of them in the chest. The gun's report echoed throughout the village square, shocking even the small night sounds into silence.

Jon scooped Danny up in his arms and began to jog back the way he had come, adrenalin compensating for the light weight of the youngster. When he reached the town gate, another sentry tried to step in front of him. Jon threw Danny over his shoulder, pulled his weapon again and fired once more. The bullet struck the man in the metal helmet going through it and into the brain.

Readjusting his burden, O'Neill managed to get one of the large armored gates open and he sprinted through it, his prize held firmly in his arms. Ducking into the heavy undergrowth, he headed to SG15's camp. He was met half way there by Morton, his team and Cassie Fraiser.

Lieutenant Colonel Morton was furious. "What the hell did you do, O'Neill?"

"I got what I came for and I'm getting the hell back to the Stargate and off this fucking planet," Jon snarled back at him.

"Stand down, Captain. You just screwed the pooch for any hope we had of negotiating with these people," Morton returned hotly.

Cassie was trying to look at the injured man where he was held in his partner's arms. "Jon, where is he hurt? Is any of this blood yours?"

"No! It's all his, and where isn't he hurt?" he replied hotly. "I'm taking him home right now. If you want to stay and play patty cake with your friends back there, Morton, you go right ahead. But I killed a half a dozen of their guards getting him out so they won't be in a very good mood. If you take my advice, you'll come back with me." He looked down at Cassie. "C'mon, let's get the hell out of Dodge."

Seeing the extent of the youngster's injuries, Cassie nodded. "Go on, get started. I'll be right behind you after I grab my bag."

The Colonel was still sputtering angry noises. "Captain. I forbid you to leave."

Jon just looked at him. "Who's going to stop me?"

Cassie reappeared clutching her medical bag. "Colonel, Danny Jackson needs medical care now. I'm making a decision that we are leaving. If you have a problem with that I suggest you take it up with General Davis."

"I don't seem to have much of a choice." He glared at the two junior officers.

"You don't, but it's better than Captain O'Neill shooting you." She looked over where Jon was standing cradling his companion. "Come on, Captain. You're with me."

He nodded. "How fast can you move?"

After the two of them disappeared into the woods toward the Stargate, Morton looked around at the rest of his team. "Lets go see what damage that idiot has done."

Major White looked at his C.O. in amazement. "Colonel, Captain O'Neill just said he killed six of their men. Are you sure that's wise?"

"Wise? No. But we have to try and ... "

"Begging the Colonel's pardon, sir," The Major continued, "I think we have to try and stay alive ourselves. Sir, I recommend that we leave with them."

"Tom, what we have to do is repair this fiasco." Morton looked at his 21C.

"Okay, sir." The Major looked doubtful and glanced back at the rest of the team. "If you think that's what we have to do, but I want it on record that I think this is a very bad idea."

~o0o~

Jon and Cassie made it to the Stargate without any more difficulties, traveling as swiftly as possible with their badly injured friend. As they approached the DHD, the doctor indicated an area of soft grass. "Put him down here for a minute and let me look at him. I want to be sure that he's stable before we go through the wormhole."

The Captain did as directed and knelt down to lay his burden on the soft springy grass. Jon looked at the young man carefully. In the thin moonlight, he could tell that his Danny was in serious trouble. He was pale, gasping for breath, and though the bleeding had stopped it was more than likely from dehydration. He looked where Cassie was digging around in her bag. "He's badly hurt, Cass," he said softly laying a hand on the cool forehead. "You do know that Morton was wrong, don't you? They were going to sacrifice him in the morning if he didn't die tonight."

She knelt down beside her patient and began to examine him. "I thought so too, but Colonel Morton was so sure." She flicked her penlight on and checked Danny's pupils for dilation response then felt his pulse at the carotid artery. "Still good, thank God, but his pulse is very weak."

Jon nodded. "He wearing more blood than he's got left inside, I think."

She frowned and nodded. "Go ahead and activate the Stargate." She flashed her small penlight at her patient's arms and started to reach for one of the cords that dangled from Danny's biceps. Jon grabbed her hand.

"No, Cassie, they're not stuck on him, they're stuck through him."

She withdrew her hand in surprise, then leaned in to look more closely at Danny's pierced arms. The clotted blood had covered the lacerations where the cords were run through the tissue. "Wha ... why would they do that?"

"You can't fight to get loose," Jon said grimly. "That could be why Morton didn't think he was hurt. He couldn't struggle to get away." He shook his head. "And he's cut on his chest and scalp, that's why the red paint looked so smooth."

She was examining the lacerations to her patient and frowned up at his comment about red paint. "It'll take surgery to remove these cords. His nipples are slashed too. They cut Xs in them and there are more cuts here on his abdomen."

Jon nodded silently, absorbing his anguish at the pain his gentle lover had suffered. Running a hand over his own face to wipe off the useless tears, he got up and trotted over to the DHD. He hit the seven symbols, the red crystal in the center and the Stargate opened on command. Jon walked back over to the pair, knelt down, and slid his arms under Danny's unresponsive body, then gently lifted him like a child, cradling him securely against his chest. He ignored the blood that caked his uniform. "Tell me again why I shouldn't shoot Morton," he commanded her.

She shook her head and answered just as angrily, "Sorry, I can't right now. Maybe later."

As they walked toward the Stargate, he muttered, "Maybe I'll just do it anyway. It's only a ritual after all."

~o0o~

As they came down the ramp a medical team appeared through the blast doors. Jon gently laid his burden down on the gurney as the med tech applied a re breather unit and started pumping air and oxygen into the unconscious man. Cassie then headed to the infirmary with them all in tow.

Davis came down the stairs from his office and into the gateroom. He looked grimly at the brown crusty stain that covered Jon's uniform. "Any of that yours?"

Jon shook his head. He could feel his emotions beginning to settle in on top of him. He needed to get somewhere private quickly before he lost it completely. He ducked his head so the General couldn't see his tears, even if he did see the shakes.

Paul must have realized what was about to happen. "Go on to the locker room and get cleaned up. You can tell me about it later."

Mustering up what was left of his thin self control, Jon nodded. The General patted him on the back and gently shoved him along.

As he walked down the familiar grey corridors, Jon felt like an old man. This mountain had given him a lot, but it had cost him too. He was realizing how high the bill had become.

Blindly he found himself in the old locker room. He stripped off the blood-caked BDU uniform and dropped it on the floor. He stepped into a shower stall and turned the hot water on high. With a shaking hand he reached for a bar of soap that someone had left there. As he began to wash, he realized that the water that was slowly going clockwise down the sluggish drain was turning from clear to dirty brown to red. It was Danny's blood coming from off his arms and hands. Danny's blood flowing down the drain, wasted and lost forever. The tears finally began to run down his face as he slid down to sit on the tile floor of the shower stall.

He didn't know how long he'd been sitting there when he heard someone tapping on the stall door. "Jon?"

He raised his head to look up into the concerned face of Daniel Jackson.

"Jon, are you ... ? No, that's a stupid question, of course you're not all right." The older man reached into the stall and turned off the steaming spray, soaking himself in the process. "Stay there, okay? I'll be right back." Daniel disappeared for a moment then came back with towel. "Here you are." He squatted down next Jon. "Let's get you up and dry." When Jon didn't move, he grasped the younger man by the arm and tugged him up, propping him against the wet tile. "You've got to get dressed so you can go and check on Danny. I don't think that Paul would appreciate you walking down the hallway like this." He began to apply the towel to Jon's wet body. "Come on, Jon, snap out of it. Danny needs you."

O'Neill nodded silently, took the towel, and began to dry himself off.

Daniel stood back and watched to be sure the younger man didn't zone off again. As he stood there in the doorway, he heard male voices come into the locker area. It was SG15.

"What the hell is all this shit on the floor?"

Daniel recognized the voice of Lieutenant Colonel Morton. He turned in time to see the man kick the soiled uniform that Jon had left on the floor. He glanced at Jon, then stepped out of the cubicle and into the gear-up room.

"In case you don't recognize it, Colonel, that's an SGC field uniform. And the substance on it is my son's blood," he said coldly. "Human blood, blood that's dry and caked on the uniform of the man who saved his life."

Morton looked at him in surprise. "Doctor Jackson? What are you doing down here?"

Daniel frowned angrily at the man. "Checking on Captain O'Neill." He stepped forward. "The only one who thought that Danny might be in trouble, while an SGC team stood by and let him be tortured."

"Doctor, really. If you knew the circumstances ... "

"The circumstances are very evident to me," Daniel continued. "You were willing to trade the life of a man, my son, for the rights to a naquadah deposit." He went to the corner where Jon had folded and stored his flight suit and picked it up. "And I find it interesting that his rescuer is not even in the SGC." He turned and carried the uniform back into the shower stall. "Come on Jon, let's get out of here. I don't care much for the company any more."

Morton stepped forward angrily. "You know O'Neill nearly got us killed. They attacked us and chased us all the way back to the Stargate. He murdered six natives on that planet. We'll never get a trade agreement with them now." Jackson ignored him.

Dumbly, the young man donned his flight suit and followed Daniel out of the shower area. When he saw the two men together, the names clicked for Morton. He realized whom Jon must be related to. "Are you General O'Neill's son?" He reached out and grabbed the man's shoulder as he walked by him.

Jon reacted by turning on the senior officer and smashing him back against the wall lockers with his forearm. He stared fully in the man's face, choking him at the same time. "No. I'm not O'Neill's son. General O'Neill's only son died twenty five years ago. I'm his clone. And the man lying up in the infirmary tortured and half dead is my best friend."

Daniel stood back and watched, ready to intervene if needed. But Jon finally let the man down from his stranglehold and said in a low voice, "Now, if you know anything about General O'Neill, you know that he doesn't leave anyone behind, particularly civilians that were in his care, and if he were still the General here you would be out on your ass ... or worse."

Morton looked at the young man in amazement. "But that's ... that's impossible. Only the Asgard have cloning technology."

"That's right. I'm impossible," Jon said softly. "So you don't have to worry about watching your back, do you? Cause I don't exist." He turned Jackson. "C'mon, Daniel. Let's get out of here before I do something else I might not regret."

As they walked side by side down the hallway to the elevator, Daniel said softly, "I'm not sure Morton has the clearance to know who and what you are."

"He has the clearance to know he's pissed me off." Jon entered the elevator ahead of Daniel and hit the button for level 21. When nothing happened, he looked at Jackson who obligingly ran his security card through the reader. "How's he doing?"

"They were prepping him for surgery when I was there. Cassie ran me out," he answered the younger man. "They probably will be finishing up soon."

"Will they have to do surgery on his arms?"

The older man nodded. "Probably just to remove the cords. His arms weren't broken, but the ligaments may be affected. The biceps and the brachii are definitely injured, but they can heal a lot easier than the bones and tendons, or so I'm being told."

Jon looked at him stone-faced. "Gonna hurt like hell for a long time though."

Daniel sighed and nodded, waiting for the elevator to get to the infirmary's floor.

~o0o~

As they reached the 21st floor, they could see there were already people waiting for them. Jack O'Neill and Paul were warming two of the chairs and nursing cups of coffee. When they saw them come in, Jack got to his feet and limped over to Jon leaning on a cane. He pulled the young man into a tight hug. "He's going to be fine. Barrett guarantees it."

Jon relaxed into his senior's arms. He knew that Jack of all people wouldn't lie to him. "I was afraid that he was gonna bleed out." Jon murmured into O'Neill's shoulder. "He was so cold."

"I know," Jack replied just as softly. "I know. It was close but you got to him in time. You saved him." He released Jon and pulled him toward the empty chairs that lined the front office wall. "C'mon, I'm not up for long-standing commentary right now, and I don't think you are either."

Jack led the younger man over to the line of chairs that flanked the front waiting room of the clinic. A young Airman appeared with a tray holding a pot of hot coffee and several Styrofoam cups which Daniel took from him. The linguist put the tray down on a counter and passed the hot joe around, finally taking a seat by General Davis.

After a seemingly endless wait of nerves and meaningless small talk, a hospital bed was wheeled in from the surgery at the rear of the clinic. Doctor Barrett came out to the waiting area and smiled at the group. She looked at Davis who nodded. "We've removed the cords, sutured the worst of the lacerations, and put four pints of whole blood in him. He should recover, but this is entirely too soon after his last surgery to make me completely confident of a quick recovery." She shook her head frowning. "In fact, it is going to take a long time for him to regain his strength."

Jon looked up at her. "He was cold."

"He had a right to be cold. He'd lost over half his blood volume and was exposed naked to the cold night air for several hours," Cassie commented unhappily. "If Captain O'Neill had done as Colonel Morton suggested he probably wouldn't have been alive to be sacrificed to their god."

Daniel glanced over at Davis. "SG15 is back."

"Yes," the General stated. "I know. They came in hot being pursued by a group of angry villagers." He looked at Jon. "He said that it was your fault."

The younger O'Neill nodded accepting the blame. "It was. Morton wouldn't give me any back up so I had to extract Danny by myself. I eliminated six warriors." He shrugged. "I guess I pissed them off."

Jack snorted softly. "Ya think?"

Davis looked at both O'Neills. "This has cost us political allies and a planet rich in naquadah."

Jon looked tiredly at the general. "Oops."

Daniel opened his mouth to speak but Davis waved him off. "I know ... there was no choice. By the time Jon arrived, there were no options left." He sighed. "I guess I'll go have the briefing and see if Morton can explain his losing control of the situation." The General looked around the group. "General, if you would stay here?" Jack nodded, "I need the Captain and Doctor Jackson." He looked at the young Captain. "I need to know your exact actions on the planet, Captain. You were, after all, following my orders."

Davis got up and left the clinic headed toward his office. He turned at the door. "Doctors, please advise me when Danny regains consciousness." Barrett nodded to her commander and headed into her office.

Jack leaned back in his chair, crossed his arms and frowned as Paul left. He waved Daniel on. "I want to say something to Jon. Tell Paul he'll be there in a moment." Daniel looked at them both then turned and followed the General.

Cassie came out of the infirmary ward and sat down next to O'Neill, putting a hand on his knee. She looked at both O'Neills. "He'll be all right. He's out of danger now."

"I know," Jon said tiredly. "Danny Jackson, the true copy of the come-back-kid. It's just not fair."

Jack nodded to Cassie who smiled at the elderly man and excused herself. He stood up with the assistance of his cane, then reached over and to lay his hand on Jon's shoulder. "Are you alright? You look like you're about to pass out."

Heaving a big sigh, the younger man nodded. "I feel like the morning after the night before."

"Let's see if I can find a place for us to camp out for a few days." He looked searchingly at Jon. "Paul hasn't had the heart to bar me from the SGC even though I don't have a real good reason to be here anymore. They let me come down and visit Daniel's office but I'm not supposed to go below level 18." He smiled. "The VIP quarters are on 25 but I have a few connections left."

Jon looked up at him. "I know. So what?"

"So, after you get through, let's go get a room and talk."

"We hate to talk."

"Okay, we'll go and get a nap."

Jon just grunted. Jack waited patiently. "I'll stay with Danny while you're gone. He won't wake up for several more hours. You go on to your briefing, then Daniel will spell me and we'll go take care of you."

"Me?"

"Sure. I'll come with you and keep you company."

"Why?"

"To keep you from killing Morton, and to grab some pie for us."

"I won't kill Morton," the younger man replied evenly. "Not yet, but I would like some pie."

"Cool. I'll call and make the arrangements." He patted the younger man on the shoulder. "Now don't keep the General waiting."

~o0o~

Brigadier General Davis was hosting the debriefing of SG15. The team was on his right and Doctor Fraiser, Doctor Jackson and Captain O'Neill to his left. Morton and O'Neill started the proceedings by glaring at each other. Fraiser had brought a pad with her notes and Jackson was there with questions of his own.

Morton had reportedly hit it off well with the headman and the chief druid while his field experts poked around to determine if there was anything of any value. They had found naquadah and the bargaining had begun with the SGC offering medical advances. The Natives were quite interested and work continued a pace. However, after the initial sit down, it was discovered that there were some medical questions that couldn't get through the language barrier. That's when Fraiser and Jackson had been requested.

Doctor Jackson Senior was no longer cleared for gate travel but his 'son' and student had eagerly volunteered to go in his place. The physician had agreed to the choice of her companion and everything had been arranged.

If Danny had been excited and looking forward to his first off-world sojourn, the Druid high priest had been ecstatic when the beautiful youth had arrived. He was just in time for the celebration and apparently perfect for his requirements. What those requirements were for had remained unexplored and unanswered.

After the deal had been struck, a feast had been prepared for the team by the warriors of the clan. As the evening wore on and the Mead was flowing, Danny was slowly and inexorably separated from his teammates. By the time the meal was done, the youngster was no longer in the room.

Doctor Fraiser had been concerned and Major White had inquired about his whereabouts but when pressed their hosts had assured them that it was only 'part of the ceremony'. The next morning there were reassured again that their absent team member was being prepared for this role in the ceremony and for them not to worry. He would meet the god and then he would be returned to them.

As the briefing continued, Jon had begun to tense, his internal alarm bells ringing at a terrifying rate. Daniel was also becoming agitated.

"What kind of god was Danny supposed to meet?" the Archaeologist asked.

Morton looked to his 2IC for information. Major White looked grim as he answered, "Balor, with eyes of blood."

"And that didn't sound suspiciously to you?" O'Neill asked.

"Every morning their sun was blood red," Morton answered calmly. "It's a naturally occurring phenomenon on this planet. He was evidently their sun god, so it made perfect sense."

Jon glowered at the senior officer. "One of your men is unaccounted for and you don't go looking?" he demanded.

Davis shot him a quelling look but then continued on in the same vein. "Can you explain your lack of action, Colonel?"

"He's a kid. He'd done his thing translating all the information." Morton shrugged and looked around the room as if for support. "For all I knew he was hanging out with the local yokels. Then, the next morning, we saw him in the main courtyard participating in some kind of ritual with the tribe's youngsters. He was wearing some kind of red paint... . "

Jon rose to his feet, his face a tight mask, but Daniel beat him to the punch by slamming his notebook down on the table. "He was being tortured! That wasn't red paint, it was his own blood!"

Morton's face went a sickly shade of white as he realized what he'd seen and misinterpreted. "No! They told us he was being prepared to meet the god."

"You idiot!" Jon snarled, "He was being tortured ... right in front of you ... and you couldn't even see it!"

Davis stood up at the head of the table. "Stand down!" he shouted, then continued on in a quieter tone, "Captain, Doctor, please will the both of you restrain yourselves?" He looked at Fraiser. "Doctor Fraiser, what did you see?"

The young woman shook her head in frustration. "Not much," she admitted, the guilt showing on her face. "I saw a group of men leading Danny through the courtyard. The Chief said that they were preparing him to meet their god. They led him into a building and closed the door." She blinked back tears as she remembered the scene and realized what she had been watching. "They must have started torturing him the night before then continued on through the day. I tried to get his attention, but ... "

Morton looked at his team then back toward Davis. "We were right there in the open. Why didn't he signal for help?"

Daniel looked at the Colonel. "He probably didn't even know you were there. Did he have his glasses?"

Fraiser looked at him helplessly. "I didn't even notice. I couldn't even guess."

"He couldn't see you were there," Jon said softly. "He must have thought that he was alone.

Cassie looked at him with tears running down her face. "I'm so sorry, Jon. I...I can't imagine what he thought. He must have believed that ... that he'd been abandoned."

Davis looked over at the young woman. He could tell that she was devastated. "Major, I think that we're through with your part of the briefing. Why don't you go and check on the patient? I'll talk to you again later."

The young Doctor nodded and left the room. All eyes then turned to look at Morton.

The man flushed pink. "Well, as you can tell, things weren't as they seemed." He looked around the table then at Davis. "We were being lied to from the beginning. How was I supposed to know...?"

General Davis raised his hand and Morton shut up. He looked at the others on SG15. "Major White, do you have anything to add?"

The younger man looked from the General to Jackson. "I'm sorry about your son, sir. I hope to God the young man recovers quickly." Then to his own Team Leader, "We made a mistake, a big one. Next time we'll know better than to trust too easily." White then turned back to Davis. "None of us knew, Sir. I'm sorry."

Davis nodded. "You certainly did, Major. Luckily, through no actions of your own, that mistake wasn't terminal ... this time. You're dismissed."

~o0o~

Several hours later, Danny blinked himself sleepily awake to the sight of Jack O'Neill thumbing through an old copy of National Geographic. He lay there watching as the older man turned the pages, watching the flex and play of the long, slender fingers. He remembered the feel of those hands, the strength and the gentleness of them. They weren't the right hands, but he remembered them anyway.

He knew that he was back in the infirmary but he wasn't sure how he'd gotten there. The fact that his lover's senior clone was at his bedside was a clue that he'd been injured off world. Jack never came to the SGC unless one or them was hurt in the field. He just couldn't remember how.

Danny tried to move the hand closest to Jack, to reach for him, but almost as soon as he thought about the motion white fire ran through his whole arm. As he gasped out for air, the older man alerted by his cry, hurriedly called out for a nurse and pressed the bed's call button. By the time the pain passed to a bearable level, both Cassie and Barrett were at his bedside.

The two women doctors worked as a team to check and verify his various stats and readings from the several monitors and electronic instruments that surrounded his bed. Finally, after checks were made and approved of, Barrett leaned over and looked him squarely in the eye. "How do you feel, Danny?" she asked slowly and clearly.

" 'm c'ld."

She nodded and turned to order the blankets on him replaced with warmed ones. Gently Cassie wiped the tears of pain from his face. "Do you know where you are?"

"Klin'ek."

"Do you know why?"

" 'urt?"

She nodded and said clearly, "Yes, Danny. You're hurt. But you're going to be all right. Do you understand me?" She smiled at his nod, then helped the nurses lay the warmed woolen covers over him.

He watched their motions, absently noting that both of his arms were wrapped from wrists to shoulder with stiff white bandages so that they were immovable. "W'a 'appn'ed?"

Doctor Barrett returned to the forefront. "We'll let General O'Neill explain it to you later." She smiled down at him. "Right now, young man, all I want you to do is rest. Sleep as much as you can. You can't work the morphine pump so it's set on automatic. Don't worry about anything. Just let us take care of you, all right?"

"J'n?"

Suddenly, Jack's face was close to his, right in front of him, filling his view. "I'm here, Danny. Jon's all right."

He heard the metal sound of the rings running along the frame as the curtains were pulled around them, shutting out the world and giving them the privacy that they wanted, the aloneness that they needed. "I'm here, Danny. I'll keep you safe."

"Wha' 'appe'd?"

"You went with Cassie and SG15. You were captured and they hurt you. But Paul sent Jon after you and he found you. You're back at the SGC. You're safe."

He blinked sleepily as he felt the morphine drip begin to take effect. " 'an'ks."

Jack watched as the blue eyes closed in sleep. Then he leaned over, whispered, "No problem, Danny-boy", and gently kissed him on the forehead. Then he sat down in the chair and picked up the magazine again. He had all the time in the world. He, after all, was retired.

~o0o~

The next day Retired General Jack O'Neill and Captain Jon O'Neill were on their way from level 22 to the 25 and the clinic when the elevator door opened to reveal Lieutenant Colonel Morton. The officer was in civilian clothes and obviously headed out of Cheyenne Mountain. The pair hesitated a moment before getting into the elevator with him, but weren't in a mood to wait. Jack was headed to the clinic to spell Daniel for Danny watch and Jon was stopping by to check on his partner before going back to Peterson AFB for duty. Morton stared at them. After looking at the two almost identical men he swallowed and said, "So, you really are General O'Neill's clone?"

Jon took a deep breath and nodded. "Yep, compliments of the Asgard." Jack watched with interest but didn't comment on the security breach.

The man ducked his head and pursed his lips. "Look, Captain, no matter what you think, I really did believe that they would return Mister Jackson in the morning."

Jon turned to look at the man. "You've got to realize, Colonel Morton, I wasn't just there blowing smoke. I was sent by General Davis and Doctor Jackson. Maybe you didn't want to believe it, but I did." He shook his head and turned his eyes back to the elevator doors. "Just because something isn't true here anymore, doesn't mean that it's not still true out there."

The man had the good grace to look embarrassed. "I'm just sorry the youngster got hurt."

Jon nodded in frustration and stared at the door waiting until it opened and he could escape the senior officer's presence. "So am I."

"He's going to be all right, though."

"Yes," He nodded again, wanting to add a scathing 'No thanks to you, asshole,' but didn't due to Jack's presence in the elevator.

The older O'Neill was leaning back against the rear wall of the car watching the exchange. The elevator stopped at their floor and Jon left quickly to get away from Morton. Jack took a little longer, using his cane to steady himself exiting the car. The Colonel leaned forward to hold the door for the older man.

"I am sorry about the boy," Morton repeated for the senior officer's benefit.

Jack paused and looked back at him. "You know, Jon ... well, he is me. He has all my knowledge and experience plus he's been back to college since he was cloned. He's actually a lot smarter than me and at his age, a whole lot more dangerous. It would behoove you not to piss him off again."

The other man looked at Jack, glancing nervously towards the younger man. "You don't think he'd come after me, do you?" He asked in a soft voice.

O'Neill only shook his head. "I think you're safe at this point, but ... remember who and what he is. He can be the best friend you've ever had, or the worst enemy. Don't push your luck."

"Can't you control him?" The man looked at him apprehensively. "I mean, he is you after all."

"Me?" Jack looked at him in surprise. "I can't control a fifty-year-old Archaeologist. I sure as hell can't control a thirty-year-old Special Operations trained killer." He shook his head as he limped from the car. "You're on your own, Morton." He went over to where Jon was waiting impatiently on him and the two of them continued down the hallway.

"What did he say to you?" Jon asked.

Jack started to answer when a Staff Sergeant hurried up to the two men. "Sirs, General O'Neill, Captain O'Neill, General Davis would like to see you."

Jack looked at him curiously. "Both of us?"

"Well, the captain specifically, but he said if I found you to ask you to come as well."

The two men looked at each other and shrugged simultaneously. Then started off to Davis' office together in step, Jon moving slowly to allow for Jack's limp.

Davis was standing behind his desk and looked up to see the two identical men arrive. The general had to smile. "The last time I saw anything as intimidating as you two, was when Teal'c and Rya'c were visiting two months ago." The two O'Neills did a double take at each other then both raised an eyebrow. Davis chuckled and nodded toward the two chairs that faced him. They sat down and he settled behind his desk. He then pulled a folder out of his top drawer and opened it. "I have here copies of two sets of orders for one Captain Jonathan Adam O'Neill." He smiled. "I have connections at the personnel center."

Jack looked at his clone and mouthed the question 'Adam?' The younger man shrugged. "It was either that or Junior after my name."

Davis pushed on through the byplay. "The first one is for promotion to the rank of Major and the second is a set of PCA orders."

Both men gave the General their full attention. Jack was the first to speak. "PCA? Where to?"

Paul smiled broadly at them. "It looks like the SGC will finally get its just desserts."

"Happy to hear it." Jack leaned over and clapped Jon on the shoulder. "You deserve the promotion, and now I can relax when I hear of Danny going off world."

Paul nodded. "The extra rank means that you can get your own team instead of being under someone else's command. They both take effect in a week, on the first of the month. That will give you time to out process the 21st Space Command and in process the SGC in time to get your promotion here."

Jon nodded numbly, he'd been expecting the transfer but not the promotion. This put him right where he'd longed to be since his creation back in 2004. And he had Danny too. All his dreams were coming true. It scared him a little. Nothing this good lasted forever, especially for him.

~o0o~

The two O'Neills arrived at the clinic together. Daniel was sitting hunched over in one of the uncomfortable plastic and chrome chairs reading the same old National Geographic magazine that Jack had gone through the day before. He looked up at them with a grimace as he straightened his posture. "What's up? You're later than usual."

Jack smiled and limped over to stand by the other man's chair. "We got called into the General's office for some news."

"Oh? Good or bad?" Daniel stood up and stretched, then stepped away, brushing up against his partner affectionately.

Jack smiled at him and started, "Well ... "

Danny, who had been lying asleep, was awakened by their voices. He mumbled something indistinguishable and tried to shift in the bed to a more comfortable position. This led to a quick awakening from the sharp pain in his arms. He stiffened and moaned softly. Jon quickly stepped to his side. "Easy, Danny, easy. Do you want me to call someone?"

The younger man opened his eyes and answered him through clenched teeth. "No. No. I'm okay, forgot ... just give a minute."

Jon stroked the warm forehead worriedly and waited for his partner to settle again. Finally, the blue eyes cleared of pain and looked up at him. "Hey," he said groggily.

Jon managed a smile. "Hey."

Danny looked from him to the other two men. "What's going on? Why's everyone here?"

"Just the changing of the guard, Danny-boy," Jack answered. "Good news all around."

"What good news?" Daniel looked at his partner and moved the magazine to the table next to the bed. Jack smiled at him and nodded towards his younger self.

Jon reached down and took the injured youngster's hand in his. "I got my new orders," He said simply.

"Orders? To where?" Daniel pressed. He looked down at Danny and saw the other blue eyes fill with tears. Jack jostled him gently. Daniel only shook his head.

The younger O'Neill noticed what his older self had seen. He bent down and centered himself in Danny's sight. "Hey, hey. What's this about?"

"You have orders?" Danny said softly. "When? Where?"

Jon glanced over his shoulder at their two older men. Jack nodded and took Daniel's hand. "C'mon, let's leave these two alone. I'll explain to you in your office."

Daniel nodded and followed Jack. As they left the bedside, Jack reached up and pulled the privacy curtains to shield the young couple.

Jon looked after them and when they were alone he carefully sat down next to Danny on the edge of the bed. "Hey, sweetheart, what's all this?" He reached to gently stroke away the tear marks.

"When do your orders take effect?"

"In another week, on the first. Why? What's wrong?"

"Where are you going?" Danny asked bravely, blinking and trying desperately to control himself. He'd known Jon was in the military and he realized that he could get reassigned at any time. He just hadn't expected it so soon.

"What do you mean?" Jon was taken aback for a second, then he got it. "Oh, no baby. No, you don't understand." He chuckled and bent down to kiss his young lover on the mouth. "I've got orders PCA to the SGC. My training is over. I'm coming here."

"Here?" Danny looked confused. "But I thought ... "

Jon carefully ran his hand through the long fine hair avoiding the stitches. "I was assigned to the 21st Space Command at Peterson Field for training purposes, but now I'm getting a permanent change of assignment to the SGC." He smiled down at the younger man's beginning comprehension. "I'll work here, be on a team, drive us to work; I'll be here to keep you safe so idiots like Morton who doesn't listen to you or understand won't hang you out to dry again."

Danny was smiling now, all tears gone. "You're here? For good?"

Jon shrugged. "You know how that is. Nothing's ever certain in the military. But even if I do get orders I'm never leaving you behind." He bent over and kissed him again, then murmured into his lips. "Never losing you again, even if I have to kidnap you ... you're mine, sweetheart ... til death do us part ... or at least until you tell me to get lost."

The brilliant blue eyes twinkled up at him. "Never happen, lover. Not even then. We'll just ... keep on ... together forever."

~o0o~

One week later, in the Commander's office at Stargate Command, a small ceremony took place. In attendance were Brigadier General Paul Davis Commander of the SGC, Brigadier General Samantha Carter (ret), Lieutenant Colonel Susan Barrett, Major Cassandra Fraiser, Master Teal'c of Chulak, his son Rya'c, Doctor Daniel Jackson and his son, Danny Jackson who was dressed in a hospital robe and sitting in a wheelchair.

Retired Major General Jonathan 'Jack' O'Neill, wearing his dress blue uniform, limped forward to stand in the front of the room and took his place between the flags of the United States and the SGC. He smiled at Jon, who stepped up to stand at attention in front of his biological 'parent' and saluting crisply. Jack returned the salute and Jon came to the position of attention as the elder O'Neill began to read from an official document he had carried up with him.

"From the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. In recognition of Captain Jonathan Adam O'Neill's outstanding work, I hereby authorize his immediate promotion to the rank of Major. The United States Air Force has recognized that you have fulfilled tasks and duties well beyond the responsibility of Captain. It is with great pleasure that I bestow upon you the responsibilities, the respect, and the rank of Major." He then removed the silver Captain's bars from one side of the younger man's uniform. Jack turned and picked up a small black case from the podium beside him. Then he took the Major's rank insignia out of the box and with deft fingers replaced the silver bars with the new gold leaf. Jack then extended his hand to Jon. "Well done, Major." Jon smiled at him, shook his hand, and then saluted his senior again. The crowd that was gathered applauded. Jon looked over at Danny who beamed at him.

After everyone had shaken his hand or hugged him, Jon went over to where Daniel was standing behind Danny in his chair. The older man pulled Jon into a hug. "Congratulations, Jon. I know how hard and long you worked to make this come true."

"Yep, I finally feel like I'm doing what I'm supposed to be again." Jon nodded, then bent down to Danny's sitting level. "You doing okay?"

"Yes, it will be good to work with you in the field again." The younger man smiled shyly. "It'll be like old times."

General Davis came over and looked down at his new officer. "Once you get in processed, we'll start thinking about who will be on your team, Major."

"My team?" Jon looked at him in surprise. "I thought that at first you'd put me on one of the existing teams till I get back in stride, sir."

"What? And waste all your experience?" Davis shook his head with a smile. "No, the SGC has just been authorized another four team assignments for sixteen people. It won't be SG1, but you will have your own team." He looked meaningfully down at Danny. "We just have to get everyone healthy before you go out into the field."

Jack came over and handed Jon a key ring with several keys on it. "Since you're PCAing also, I figured that you'd want to take some leave after you get signed in here. Doc Barrett says she's gonna put Danny on convalescent leave starting next week for thirty days. Why don't you two get out of town and head up to the cabin? I've done some work on it since you've been up there." He grimaced at his partner who smiled back at him. "It's even got a satellite link for the TV and the computer now."

Jon looked at the keys like they were magic. "The cabin ... in Minnesota?"

Jack shrugged. "Sure ... why not? If I can't trust you, who can I trust? Besides, Danny needs to get out into some sunshine and fresh air for a while so he can heal properly." The older man then shook a finger at him. "Just take good care of him or I'll kick your ass, junior."

The new Major nodded, knowing that he was grinning like a fool. General Davis had come over to where they were standing. "I'll be happy to grant you thirty days leave, Major. Just put your paperwork in as you sign in next week."

Jon looked from his older self, to Paul, to Daniel, and finally down to Danny who smiled up at him. "I...will, sir. Thank you for everything. I'm very grateful."

Paul just clapped him on the shoulder. "Just get yourself and young Danny back here in good shape. I'm sure you'll make it up to us in more ways than one."

Just then there was a knock at the door. When Cassie went over to open it, the General's aid came in pushing a kitchen cart bearing a large sheet cake, a carafe of coffee and paper plates and plastic utensils. On the cake was the script saying 'Congratulations Major O'Neill."

Jon looked back at Jack who only smiled and said, "There should always be cake, or pie, at the very least ... "

~o0o~

Jon jogged up the mountain trail that opened up into the cabin's back yard. He stopped at the woodland's edge and took in the sight that was before him. Danny lay napping on the chaise lounge in the warm sun of Indian summer. He was only wearing a pair of cut off jeans and his fair skin had tanned to a golden shade. The only thing that ruined the picture were the bandages on his arms and the healing scars that criss-crossed his abdomen.

He realized once again how close he'd come to losing his lover. Morton was an ass and his inexperience in the field had nearly proved to be Danny's undoing. But it was over now, and they'd have to get past it. In another week, he would be signing in at the SGC and Danny would be his to watch over and guard again. Davis had indicated that they would be able to pick their team members, within reason of course. Jon was half tempted to not select Danny so that the young archaeologist wouldn't be exposed to the dangers of off world missions, but he knew that if he didn't take him, it would not only ruin their relationship but someone else would certainly pick him for their team. It was the only choice. He would just be as careful as he could and watch Danny like a hawk, not allowing him to get into trouble.

He walked over the sleeping man and dropped down on one knee next to the chair. He looked at the angelic face in front of him and bent over to kiss him awake.

"Hey, baby. How ya doing?"

The blue eyes blinked awake and the beautiful mouth smiled at him. "Good, I'm doing good." Then he frowned. "Jon?"

"Yes, baby?"

"Jon, you can't call me that," Danny frowned up at him, "in the mountain."

Jon started to protest but saw where his lover was going. "Oh."

"If you call me that now, you'll slip later." The younger man watched him for a reaction.

"Hm. No more baby?"

"No, too dangerous."

"Sweetheart?"

Another shake of the head.

"Snookums?"

A small grin. "No."

"Honeybunch?"

"No, no cereal names either."

"Junior?"

"Adam?"

"Better than Junior." Jon kissed him. "I always think of Teal'c's snake."

Danny smiled. "He does have a big snake."

Jon looked at him in mock horror and shook his head, masking a grin. "Who knows what naughtiness lurks in the mind of innocent adolescent archaeologists?"

"You do, Shadow." Danny lay back against the head rest with a sigh. "I just wish you'd take more advantage of it."

"What? And have the combined wrath of Doc Barrett, Cassie, Daniel, AND Jack come down upon my head? You are nuts. You know we can't do anything until you get passed by the med screening." Jon sat down beside him.

"Jon, it's not like they don't know we're involved."

"Well, Jack and Daniel for sure. But Barrett and Cass shouldn't know anything officially."

"I thought you said that it didn't matter now in these more enlightened times?" Danny was officially in the pout zone.

"Ah, I said the same sex thing didn't matter anymore. I still can't, well shouldn't, be fraternizing with a team member." Jon looked down at him. "Unless you don't want to be a member of my team. Then we can go to San Francisco and get married if you want." He kissed his love again. "Then I can have my Danny and eat him too."

"What? Get married? Us?" The pout had changed to surprise.

Jon shrugged nonchalantly. "If you want, but then you've got your whole life ahead of you." He kissed the younger man again. You may not want to be married to me, might find a nice girl ...

"You'd marry me?" Danny seemed stunned by the revelation.

"Danny Jackson, I'd marry you in a Minnesota minute. You know that," Jon said firmly. "It's up to you, baby."

Danny smiled and sat forward on the chair, "Kiss me Jon, please?"

Knowing that Danny's arms were still sore and stiff he leaned into the younger man, wrapped one arm around the slender waist and one across the narrow shoulders, pulling him up against his chest. "I love you more than anything, baby. Anything you want from me is yours. You just tell me, okay?" He then kissed the younger man, losing himself completely in the taste, smell, and feel of the beloved body.

After they separated, Danny leaned his head against his partner. "I don't really know, Jon. I do ... I would love to marry you. I want to shout it from the rooftop, but ... "

"But you want to go through the Stargate ... I understand." Jon kissed him on the forehead and held him close. "You're as addicted to it as I am."

The younger man nodded against his partner's chest. "I...I do, Jon. I'm sorry, but I do."

Jon heaved a deep sigh. "I almost wish you'd said yes. It would solve a lot of things for me, but I can't, I won't, ask you to give it up." He looked down at his companion. "We'll just keep on like we've been doing, playing it careful and close to our vest." He pushed Danny away so he could look at him. "But when you're ready, you just say the word, and we'll head for California."

The younger man looked at him. "You really mean that don't you?"

"With all my heart and soul," Jon assured him solemnly.

"So, we're good here?"

"We're the best, baby. The absolute best, and we've got the track record to prove it." Jon gazed down at him with love in his eyes. "And don't you ever doubt it."

Danny leaned back up against his lover. He could hear his heart beating in steady rhythm with his own. "I don't Jon, I surely don't."

the end, for now. 

**Author's Note:**

> Based in part on the article Bronze Age Bog Men Found Murdered in Ireland printed in National Geographic
> 
> Bronze Age Bog Men Found Murdered in Ireland: Bodies of Aristocratic Irish Bog People Show Severe Torture | Suite101.com http://paula-i-nielson.suite101.com/bog-men-found-tortured-and-murdered-in-ireland-a215601#ixzz1aWpCG4vF  
> http://paula-i-nielson.suite101.com/bog-men-found-tortured-and-murdered-in-ireland-a215601


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